Fluid leakage is a common problem in pipelines, particularly in older pipelines which typically employ materials of limited ductility and are thus highly subject to damage such as caused by impact, ground movement or shock. Currently available pipe clamps for repairing high pressure pipelines are generally expensive to manufacture, difficult and awkward to install, and of limited reliability. This is particularly true in the case of repair clamps for repairing and sealing a leak in a bell joint comprised of a spigot end of one pipe inserted in a sealed manner in the bell end of another pipe. Bell, or flange, joints are a common approach to connecting two pipes in a sealed manner. However, the bell end portion of the pipe is subject to splitting resulting in leakage.
A common approach to repairing a leaking bell joint requires the pipeline to be shut down and de-watered. The leaking bell joint is then removed from the pipeline by cutting respective ends of adjacent pipeline sections forming the bell joint and inserting a new sleeve between the severed ends of adjacent pipeline sections. The repair sleeve approach thus results in two pipeline joints subject to leakage rather than the single coupling of the thus removed bell joint. Not only is this approach of limited reliability, but it is difficult and time consuming because of the requirement to remove the leaking bell joint.
Other repair approaches allow the leaking bell joint to remain in the pipeline and attempt to confine the leak by means of a sleeve disposed about and encompassing the leaking bell joint. A sleeve housing generally includes opposed apertures for receiving the spigot and bell joint ends of the coupled pipeline sections and is typically comprised of two semi-cylindrical sections which are adapted for connection and sealed contact. The bell joint sleeve thus forms a hollow enclosure about the bell joint in an attempt to confine the pipeline contents and prevent further leakage. However, the bell joint sleeve itself is subject to leakage particularly at its two gasketed ends and along the longitudinal seams join the semi-cylindrical sleeve halves.